Lighting fixtures conventionally incorporate light sources including, for example, incandescent light bulbs, halogen light bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, and light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are positioned within the lighting fixture to provide an illumination light source. In some end-user applications for the lighting fixture, the light source may not provide the desired quality of light. For example, for lighting fixtures that incorporate LEDs as light sources, the LEDs have high directionality in the light emitted and may cause glare when viewed without shielding. To reduce the effects of directionality and glare, an increased number of LEDs that operate with lower brightness per LED may be positioned within the light source. Alternatively, or in addition, a light diffusing element may be positioned proximate to the LEDs to diffuse the light emitted, thereby reducing the intensity of individual LEDs. However, these additions may increase the cost of the light source and/or increase mechanical and thermal complexity of the light source.
Accordingly, alternative lighting units may be desired.